Have you ever considered how closely agriculture depends on stable weather patterns? Rainfall, temperature, and sunlight are not just environmental factors—they're essential ingredients for healthy crop growth. When these patterns become erratic—through delayed monsoons, sudden droughts, or extreme heat—agricultural productivity suffers, and farmers are left vulnerable.
In a similar way, governance operates on patterns. Just as farmers depend on weather, citizens depend on consistent, transparent policy making. Government policies shape the economic and social climate, and when these become unpredictable, the entire system can falter. Erratic decision-making can disrupt not only long-term planning but also public trust in institutions.
Recent examples from the current Indian government illustrate this trend. Sudden moves like demonetization, unannounced surgical strikes, and the decision of caste census have often been framed as bold or strategic. While actions like surgical strikes may have a legitimate place in matters of national security, using unpredictability as a political tool—particularly to unsettle the opposition—raises deeper concerns.
Governments are meant to provide stability, not suspense. Turning governance into a series of surprises may offer short-term political advantage, but it undermines democratic norms. More troubling is the portrayal of political opposition as enemies of the state. This is not only a distortion of democratic discourse but a dangerous erosion of constitutional values. When those in power equate dissent with disloyalty, they edge closer to authoritarianism and farther from the democratic ideals they claim to defend.
In agriculture, unpredictable weather can destroy crops. In governance, unpredictable policies and political polarization can weaken democracy. Both call for balance, foresight, and respect for the systems that sustain us.